An adaptation of Patrick Radden Keefe’s 2009 novel The Snakehead: An Epic Tale of The Chinatown Underworld and the American Dream is set to hit the small screen.
The series was snapped up at a bidding war by the production company A24, who are responsible for feature films such as The Florida Project and Everything Everywhere All At Once. The latter has taken a decided lead in the Oscar nominations this year.
The novel tells the story of middle-aged grandmother, Cheng Chui Ping, who managed a multi-million dollar business smuggling thousands of people from China to the U.S. Throughout the novel, Radden Keefe reveals the inner workings of the woman behind the empire and recounts the decade-long F.B.I. investigation that eventually brought her to justice. He also reports on the incompetent corrupt INS (Immigration Naturalization Service) as it pursues desperate immigrants risking their lives to come to America. The Snakehead can be classed as both a crime novel and an exploration of the ironies of American immigration.
Radden Keefe himself expressed his anticipation of the series via Twitter:
The Snakehead is the second of Keefe’s books to be adapted for TV, the first being Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland, which is currently being developed at FX network. The novel achieved several accolades, including the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the Orwell Prize for Political Writing. Keefe is also the author of New York Times bestsellers Empire of Pain and Say Nothing, as well as the writer and host of the number one podcast of 2020 WIND OF CHANGE.
No production or release date has yet been confirmed for The Snakehead. However, Radden Keefe is expected to play a role as both creator and executive producer.
Words by Faye Price
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